The Role of New Media in Elections: Tales from the Obama for America Campaign

Thursday, January 28 at 17:00

Koszykowa Library, Koszykowa 26/28

Entrance F

Damian Bednarz, Special Assistant in the Office of Policy and International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy, will meet the Warsaw public at the U.S. Embassy’s next America Presents program on January 28 at 17:00 at the Koszykowa Library.

Mr. Bednarz spent two years working on new media with the Obama for America campaign before joining the Department of Energy, where he now covers regional energy issues in Central/Eastern Europe and the Middle East and as domestic efforts on renewable energy, climate change, and a national ocean policy. Mr. Bednarz, a graduate of Seton Hall University and Marist College, researched Polish political parties and the mechanics behind coalition building as a Fulbright Scholar in Warsaw from 2004-2005.

In addition to a discussion of new media on the campaign trail, Mr. Bednarz is happy to discuss the U.S. role in addressing the latest global energy challenges.

America Presents

“America Presents” programs bring a wide array of American cultural, political, historical, and economic topics to diverse audiences in Poland. Through this program, the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw offers free, public presentations and talks by American scholars, artists, athletes, and experts. The events are generally designed for journalists, students, English teachers, and academic faculty (from International Relations, American Studies, and English Departments of universities and private academia). In addition, anyone with an interest in the United States or the event’s theme is welcome to attend.
As a rule, all presentations are given in English, although occasional exceptions will be advertised. Recent participants of this program have included award-winning novelist Amy Tan, photographer Robert Heller, best-selling author Steve Berry, journalist Tom Friedman, filmmaker Richard Adams, Professor Rasma Karlins, author/professor/playwright Anne Nelson, and author Eric Weiner.

The U.S. Embassy in Warsaw is proud to welcome Anne Nelson to Poland, where she will participate in progams in both Warsaw and Gdansk. Ms. Nelson, adjunct associate professor, Columbia School of International and Public Affairs, writer, war reporter and media scholar will meet the Warsaw public at the Polish premiere reading of her play “The Guys” (Chłopaki) at the Warsaw Theater Academy “Koło” stage on October 27 at 19:00.

The play was translated into Polish by Artur Zapałowski and directed by Jarosław Kilian, staring Małgorzata Lipmann and Dominik Łoś.

“The Guys” first opened in New York just 12 weeks after the 9/11 attacks with a production starring Sigourney Weaver and Bill Murray, and ran for over a year. Since then, it has been produced in 48 states and 12 foreign countries and has also been made into an award-winning feature film.

Anne Nelson will also participate in a seminar and workshops organized by the Young Journalists’ Association “Polis” www.polis.org.pl on October 26 at Agora Headquarters, ul. Czerska 8/10. To register, please email : spotkaniapolis@gazeta.pl .
Ms. Nelson will also appear at the “Theater and Trauma” seminar at Gdansk University on October 29, 2009. (more)

Professor Shapiro will give lectures and conduct workshops in conjunction with the 65th anniversary of the uprising of the Lodz Ghetto. The topic of his presentation will be the pre-war history of Jewish self-government in Lodz and the history of the Litzmannstadt Ghetto. His seminar on the “Litzmannstadt Ghetto” on August 28 at 15:00 is open to the public, and will be organized by the Center for Jewish Research at the University of Łódź’s Institute of History. Those interested in participating should email judaica@uni.lodz.pl.

In addition to private meetings with Polish officials, General Farrell spoke with media outlet RMF FM in Krakow and Horyzonty‘s Maciej Wierzynski, and also met with the Diplomatic Academy and a public audience at the University of Warsaw library, for an event co-hosted by demosEUROPA and moderated by Adam Jasser.

We’re excited to present you with the opportunity to meet our latest American Expert in Poland – Lt. General Lawrence Farrell (retired), CEO of the National Defense Industrial Association. He’ll be speaking at a debate hosted by demos Europa this Thursday, June 26, at 15:00 at the Warsaw University Library (see announcement below – registration is required), where he’ll discuss the impact of energy choices on national security policies. For more information, keep reading… (more…)